Parliament in ‘half-hearted’ support for US data deal

A new agreement on the transfer of EU air passengers' personal data to the US authorities was approved by the European Parliament on the 19 April 2012. The deal sets legal conditions and covers issues such as storage periods, use, data protection safeguards and administrative and judicial redress. The agreement will replace a provisional deal in place since 2007.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Memo/12/259: Statement by EU Commissioner Malmström on the European Parliament plenary vote on the Passenger Name Record (PNR) Agreement with the United States of America http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/259&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

European Commission: Memo/12/258: Frequently Asked Questions: Passenger Name Record http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/12/258&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

Deutsche Welle, 19.4.12: Brussels approves data-sharing deal with US http://www.dw.de/dw/article/0,,15898916,00.html

Denmark: EU Presidency: Press release, 19.4.12: The EU and the United States strengthen cooperation on counter-terrorism http://eu2012.dk/en/NewsList/April/week-16/PNR

BBC News, 19.4.12: MEPs back deal to give air passenger data to US http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17764365

ESO: Background information: Unhappy MEPs to approve passenger data deal http://www.europeansources.info/record/unhappy-meps-to-approve-passenger-data-deal/

European Parliament: Press Release, 19.4.12: Parliament gives green light to air passenger data deal with the US http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/pressroom/content/20120419IPR43404

EurActiv, 19.4.12: EU rubber-stamps airline passenger data transfers to the US http://www.euractiv.com/transport/eu-rubber-stamps-airline-passenger-data-transfers-us-news-512266

Official Journal, L174, 4.7.12: Information concerning the date of entry into force of the Agreement between the United States of America and the European Union on the use and transfer of passenger name records to the United States Department of Homeland Security http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:174:0001:0001:EN:PDF

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